Pay & Benefits
Retirement Claims Backlog is Down Now, But It’s About to Spike
OPM expects its inventory to grow by nearly 10,000 applications after January influx.
Route Fifty
California Gas Prices Increase With State’s Cap and Trade Rules
But consumers probably aren’t noticing the impact. At least not yet.
Management
The Biggest Reason We Steal Other People’s Ideas
It’s difficult to remember the source of information when we’re busy or distracted.
Route Fifty
Maryland County Councilman Calls Out Reporter for ‘Unauthorized Use’ of His Name
Local officials: Here’s a media relations case study of what not to do.
Defense
What a Homeland Security Shutdown Would Look Like
Even if DHS funding ends, most employees would likely keep working, and Obama's executive order could too.
Defense
Report: The Air Force Needs More Drone Operators
An unnamed senior military official told the Daily Beast that the force has been at the “breaking point” for a “long time.”
Management
Nearly Half of Americans Didn’t Take a Vacation Day in 2014
Last year, workers left 169 million paid vacation days on the table, saying they were too busy to use them.
Management
Washington Area Agencies Open With Unscheduled Leave
First snow of new year comes during morning rush hour.
Employee Policy
Some USPS closures delayed
The U.S. Postal Service will hold off temporarily on 10 of the 82 mail processing plant closures scheduled for this year as part of a facility consolidation program.
Pay
New pay tables available
The federal government has posted new 2015 pay schedules online on a number of human resources websites.
Retirement
OPM trims retirement claims backlog in December
The Office of Personnel Management last month took in about 1,500 fewer retirement claims than it had forecast for the month, and trimmed its claims backlog to the lowest level in more than a year.
Employee Policy
FBI employees say surveillance program hinders careers
Some FBI employees say they are being unfairly targeted by an internal surveillance program launched after 9/11.
Nextgov
Watchdog Wants to Know if DOD Has Actually Saved Money by Jumping to the Cloud
Audit to determine whether DOD components performed cost-benefit analyses before buying cloud services.
Nextgov
NWS Says 'No Involvement' from China-Owned Unit in IBM Supercomputer Deal
The National Weather Service will get forecast-boosting supercomputers that will increase processing capacity by almost tenfold.
Employee Policy
NIH rolls out long-term plan for Bethesda campus
The National Institutes of Health's Office of Research Facilities has put together a 500-page master plan to slowly grow the organization's campus in Bethesda, Md.
Management
USPS Delays Scheduled Consolidations at Many Facilities
Agency cites operational concerns and snow storms.
Oversight
The CIA's Watchdog Is Resigning After Revealing That Spies Hacked the Senate
Inspector General David Buckley will step down at the end of the month, the agency said.
Management
How Baby Steps Can Keep You on Track This Year
Don’t try to solve for the next 100 steps. Solve for the next two or three.
Defense